Contact device



Sept. 15,1925.

H. w. CHENEY CONTACT DEVICE riled Sept. 27. 1930 Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

issasee UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT W. CHENEY, OE MILXVAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 ALLiS-OI-IALMERS MANUFACTURING OOMZE'AZNY, OF MILTVAUKEE, "WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CONTACT DEVICE.

Application filed September 27, 1920. Serial No. 413,087.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that HERBERT W. CHENEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, has invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Contact Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical contact mechanisms embodying a new form of con tact and support therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a contact which may be easily and quickly removed from its support. Another object is the provision of means whereby, even though the fastening means for the contact is somewhat loose, the contact will not dropv away from its support.

Still another object is the provision of means whereby the strains produced by the engagement of co -operating contacts will be taken chiefly by means other than the means fastening a contact .to its support. Another object is the provision of a contact having the aforementioned characteristics, which may be reversed with respect to its support. Other objects will appear herein after as the description of the invention proceeds.

The novel features of the invention will appear from this specification and the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof and disclosing an embodiment of the invention, and all those novel features are intended to be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing; Fig. 1. is a front elevation of a contact mechanism embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a detail, along the line II-I'I of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, certain of the parts being removed.

The contact mechanism here shown, includes a movable contact 1 and stationary contacts 2, 3. There may be as many sets of these contacts as desired, 1 only one set appearing in the present front elevation. There may also be only one movable and one stationary contact as far as certain features of the invention are concerned. Certain features of the invention may, moreover, be applied in only the stationary or only the movable contacts, if so desired' The novel contact mechanism will be understood by a description of the contact 2 and the supporting means therefor. The contact 2 is provided with an attaching portion 4 having lateral projections 5, 6. These projections may be provided at any point along the opposite faces of the portion 4 but, as here shown, result in an attaching portion generally of T shape. The projection 6 is adapted to co-operate with a slot 7 in the rectangular supporting member 8 comprising the legs 9, 10. The rectangular supporting member is here shown as fastened to a carrying rod 11, and to this end,

is provided with a depression 12 to accommodatethe surface of the rod, whatever the cross-sectional shape of the rod may be. The supporting member 1s fastened tosaid rodby means of a clamp 13, in combination with bolts 14,15. The leg 10 is spaced slightly from the clamp. The bolt 15 passes through an opening in one leg of the clamp 13, through an opening in the leg 10, an open ended slot 16 (see Fig. 2) in the portion 4 of the contact, through an opening in a plate 17 and into the threaded nut 1 As will be seen clearly by referehce to Fig. 2, (in which the plate 17 and nut 18 have been removed) thecontact 2 has a slot 16 in its attaching portion, substantially parallel to the general plane the T. The slot 16 and bolt 15 are preferably of such relative. proportions that the bolt will clear the walls of the slot. be opening in the plate 17 is preferably just large enough for the passage of the bolt 15. v

The result of the above described con struction is that pressure on the contact2 will result in a minimum stress on the bolt .15 inasmuch as such stresses are taken the supportmg member 8 and its associated parts through the action of the projection 6 I and the slot 7. Furtherm-ore,le ss tension slot 7 respectively. This action is assisted by the resilience of the clamp 13 which draws the nut 18 against the plate 17 and so keepsthe latterunder the projection 5 and also holds the attaching portion 4 of the contact,- with its projection- 6, in engagement I with the complementary parts of the leg 10. The contact 2 may moreover, be readily removed without completely unscrewing the nut 18. By reason of the construction of the contact it may also be readily reversed with respect to its support, in case that becomes desirable.

What has been stated above, of course applies equally well to the contacts 1, 3.

Where, as in the present instance another contact or set of contacts 3 is involved, the two sets of contacts are conveniently supported by and related through an insulating plate 19, this plate bein clamped between the upper leg of the clamp 13 and the leg 9 of the rectangular supporting member 8 by means of the bolt 14%. The bolt 14: may be threaded into the leg 9 or made functionally integral therewith in any manner, as desired. The clamp 18 and associated parts may be insulated from the rod 11 by means of an insulating sleeve 20. It will be noted that, by reason of the rela'io-n of plate 19 to bothof the clamps, the contacts are held in rigid relation to the rods, no turning being possible. 7

The movable contacts 1 may be provided with any suitable form of actuating mechanism, and as this forms no part of the present invention it will not be herein described. I

It should be understood that it is not desired that the invention claimed be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure ters Patent;

1. A contact having a portion taching the same to a support, said portion having an opening transverse to the general plane of said portion, and projections on said portion extending in opposite directions.

A contact having a portion of T shape for attaching the same to a support, said portion having an opening substantially parallel to the general plane of the T.

3. A contact having a portion of T shape for attaching the same to asupport, said portion having an open-ended slot substantially parallel to the general plane of the T. 1. In combination, a contact support hav mg a contact surface provided with a slot, a contact having a portion cooperable with said contact surface and a projection 00- operable' with said slot, and means for fastening said contact to said support. f

5. In combination, a contact supportingfor at menf l'ier, a contact member co-op-erable with another contact, means for fastening said contact member to said support-member. and means including a slot in one of said members and a 'co-operating projection on the other of said members for taking strains arising when said contacts are dressed togeth'er.

6. In combination, a contact supportmember, a contact member having an openend'ed slot said contact being co-op-er'able with another contact, means havin. tion passing through said slot for said contact member to said support me her, and means including a slot in one of said members and a c'o-operating projection on the other of said members for preventing disengagement of said contact member and support even though said fastening means is loose to a predetermined degree.

7. In combination, a contact having a portion of T shape, said portion having'an open'ended slot substantially parallel to the general plane of said T, a supporting niemher for said portion having a slot cooper ating with one end of the cross bar of said T, an apertured plate co-operating with the other end of said cross bar, and a bolt passing through said member, said portionand said plate. 7

8. In combination, a contact support having a slot, a contact member havinga pro jection co-op'erable with said slot, said contact member having an opening, and means passing through'said opening and clearing the walls thereof for fastening said contactsaid rod including a clamp having around engaging surface, and relatively stationary means for positively preventing movement of said clamp around said rod. I

11. In combination, a rod, a rectangular support-member having a depression at the outer apex of the right angle adapted to co-operate with said rod, a clamp around said rod having legs adapted to co-operate with said rectangular support-memberone of said legs being spaced from said supportmember, means for fastenin'gsaid latter leg support-member, and said contact together, and means for fastening the other leg to said support-member. I K

12. In combination, a rod, a rectangular supportmember having a. depression at the outer apex of the right angle adapted "to cooperate with said rod, a clamp around said rod having legs adapted to co -operate with said rectangular support member, means for fastening one of said legs, saidsupp'ort member. and said contact together, and

means for fastening the other leg to said support-member.

13. In combination, a rod, a rectangular support-member having a depression at the outer apex of the right angle adapted to co-operate with said rod, a clamp around said rod having legs adapted to co-opera e with said rectangular support-member, one of said legs being spaced from said supportmember, a bolt for fastening said leg, said support-member, and said contact together, said contact and said support member hav ing complementary surfaces for preventing relative movement between said contact and said support transverse to said bolt, and means for fastening the other leg to said support-member.

14. In combination, a contact support, a contact having two legs substantially at right angles, one leg having a face engaging said support and the other having a contact face substantially at right angles to said engaging face, a bolt passing through said engaging-leg and into said support for holding said leg against said support, and means whereby when pressure is put on said contact face tending to turn said engaging-leg about its end as a fulcrum, substantially no strains will be put on said bolt.

15. In combination, a contact support, having a shoulder and an adjacent slot, a contact having a part with a face engaging said support and having portions complementary to said slot and shoulder, and hav ing a contact face substantially at right angles to said engaging face, and a bolt passing through said engaging-part and into said support.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is affixed hereto.

HERBERT W, CHENEY. 

